CHAPTER 9

Ace stepped before me protectively, keeping me out of Jasper’s reach as he sauntered into the room.

Jasper now had his gun removed out of his holster, steady in his tight grip.

I shivered.

Jasper just caught me kissing not just anybody but, a criminal. The man he intended to put behind the bars.

“Wow. What a pleasant surprise, Brielle. Does Elijah knows you are fucking a murderer?”

Murderer. The words he had used in describing Ace even terrified me more. But, how was he right. Ace Reynolds was indeed a murderer. I'm sure the number of the people he had murdered was twice my age.

And, I was married to him. I was the wife to a man who rendered a lot of people motherless, fatherless, childless, and even orphan.

I let him kiss me. Irritation stirred a bile in my throat.

“Maybe I should do you a favor and let him know.”

Jasper fished out his phone, placing his gun in his other hand, steadily.

Panic rose in my throat. No. Hell no!

“Jasper, I—”

“Leave, Brielle.”

The command burst through Ace, fierce and cold.

My gaze flew to him.

“No. I—”

“Leave. Can you drive?”

I nodded instantly, recalling the chaotic driving lesson from Elijah for a brief moment.

Oh, Elijah.

“Take my car key,” Ace fished out a car key, shoving it into my palm. “Go to the car. I will meet you later. If I don't come out in twenty minutes, drive home, the GPS will direct you.”

What?

“But—”

“Home? Brielle, how much is this fucker offering you to spread your legs for him?”

I ignored Jasper, moving quickly to saunter out of the room. Jasper suddenly stood in my way.

“No one leaves. Both of you will be escorted to our station for investigation. Now, it would be smart to comply as any protest from either of you will force me to pull the trigger.”

I froze. Oh my God. This is getting ugly real quick.

Jasper plucked out a handcuff, gripping my wrist to cuff me. I shuddered in fear as I watched Jasper clip the cuff into my first wrist.

Before Jasper could clip the second, I had a clicking sound behind me and turned around to see Ace pointing a gun at Jasper, his fingers on the trigger, ready for a pull.

Jasper paused, chuckling darkly.

“Here I thought you were so foolish to come unarmed.”

“Let her go or I paint this room red with your fucking blood.”

Ace spat, glaring daggers at Jasper.

“Well, well. Look who is threatening the Feds for the first time. And just for a girl. Just how sweet could your cunt be, Brielle?”

Immediately, Ace disappeared behind me to Jasper, in a swift, pinning him against the wall and pressing the rim of his gun into his temple.

“Speak about her in that manner again and I will create a hole in your skull with a bullet.”

“Watch it, Reynolds. Remember no one harms the Feds and gets away with it.”

Ace inched closer, pressing the gun tighter into his temple.

“Watch me try.”

For a brief moment, they stayed staring at each other, both of them anticipating the first person to make a move.

And Jasper did, moving quickly to pull the trigger but, Ace was faster. Smarter. He skillfully dodged and the bullet hit the floor-to-ceiling window instead, shattering the glass to the ground. We were now exposed to the bustling city beneath us.

Ace had mysteriously taken hold of Jasper‘s gun, tossing it by the side of the room. Jasper was now unarmed and Ace still had his gun pointed at him.

“Brielle, leave. Take my car and leave.”

Ace fished out the handcuff keys from Jasper's pocket with the gun still attributed at him and tossed it to me.

The key landed on the floor and I scrambled to pick it up, releasing myself from the handcuff.

Immediately my wobbling leg found its way out of the room, I held my tight chest, struggling to gather breath.

It was oddly quiet downstairs, it gave me the chills. The baldy man, Mr D’tuelle, suddenly burst out of a corner, holding his bleeding neck and struggling to stop the bleeding dripping out.

I gasped out in shock.

Jasper shot him.

I rushed to him, grabbing a napkin within my reach and pressing it to his neck to help him stop the bleeding.

“You need to leave.”

He said, his voice weak and the breath of the words, ragged.

“I should call the ambulance. Where is your phone?”

I gazed around him anxiously, in search of his phone.

“You have to leave this minute! His men are surrounding this building and once they have the word of Jasper, they will get inside and take you.”

I considered his words, my chest heaving from my heavy, edgy breath.

“You can take the back door. It leads to the parking lot.”

“Can you manage?”

Mr D’tuelle nodded quickly, collecting the napkin as he continued pressing it against his neck.

I managed to my feet, struggling towards the back door entrance, fisting the car key Ace gave to me.

Immediately I burst out of the back door entrance, my gaze falling on the familiar Range Rover, I walked towards it, straining to keep a normal stance as I did.

I reached for the handle, jerked it open, and climbed into the passenger’s seat. The minute I settled beside the wheel, a thought crossed my mind. Dreadful and terrifying.

I was a few meters away from the tunnel that separated me from my home. I could head there instead of returning to that hell I now somehow called my home.

For the first time since my dreadful fate swap, I had an opportunity to return to my normal life.

To Elijah. Valerie. Everyone that wasn't Ace Reynolds. The opportunity stared right back at me, spreading its hands and waiting for me to walk right in.

Perhaps, this could be an answered prayer. God was finally giving me the chance to leave this trap of a marriage.

If I made it out of the tunnel in time, I could abandon his car somewhere on the road and hail a taxi. Or I could call Valerie immediately after I abandoned his car.

Either way, if I wanted to escape, this seemed like the best and only time.

I rushed to climb into the driver’s seat, steadying my hands on the wheel.

When I turned the ignition and the vehicle roared to life, my heart leaped into my throat at the thought of finally escaping Ace Reynolds.

However, as I started to make it out of the parking lot, a gunshot pierced through my ear, and several other gunshots followed.

And one thing was certain, Jasper’s men had made it into the building and Ace no longer had the upper hand.

Ace was in danger. Probably dead.